LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (REUTERS / INTERNET) – In a year in which Taylor Swift’s star has risen in to the upper stratosphere, her biggest victory may have been watching Apple ‘blink” after the pop star called out the tech giant for its initial policy of refusing to pay artists during free trials of its new Apple Music streaming service.

Apple’s change of heart came after the 25-year-old singer posted onTumblr that she’d hold back her latest hit album “1989” from the service.

And it’s decision to now pay artists during its three-month trial period may offer up hope of finding a new model for the record industry, explained Shirley Halperin, of Billboard magazine.

Shirley Halperin, of Billboard magazine,

“I think what we are getting to is a new economic model that really decides what the value of music is. That is something that Taylor Swift put out there by addressing the matter in her letter to Apple. That is something that record companies, artist, majors, indies, promoters, everyone has been looking at this on how do you make money as a musician these days.”

After the backflip from Apple, Swift turned to Twitter to thank both Apple and her supporters, telling her 59 million Twitter followers: “I am elated and relieved. Thank you for your words of support today. They listened to us.”

Swift has fought with music streaming services before. She pulled her entire catalog of music from online streaming platform Spotify last November and refused to offer “1989” on streaming services, saying the business had shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically.

Shirley Halperin, of Billboard magazine,

“Taylor Swift happens to be the pop culture sensation of the moment and she has been for some time. She’s on the road right now, she’s promoting, she’s very visible, she’s on Twitter, she’s interacting with her fans. She just has a very loud bullhorn which she can use and she is.”

As a result, Halperin called Apple’s reversal to now pay artists during free trials of its new Apple Music streaming service a smart and long-term move.